Folsom graduated from University of Georgia in 1996 with a degree in journalism. He also attended New York University.

Books

Folsom's book, The Mad Ones, was published by Weinstein Books on May 5, 2009 and became a New York Times bestseller. Since then, Harvey Weinstein has purchased the film rights to his book. In 2009 the audio book of The Mad Ones was released. Folsom, according to The New York Times, “deftly invokes a wacky world and the kind of characters celebrated by Jack Kerouac,” The New York Times, May 8, 2009. The title comes from the Jack Kerouac quote, “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn.” He is the co-author of a biography of drug-kingpin Leroy Barnes, Mr. Untouchable: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Heroin's Teflon Don, written with its subject in Witness Protection.

Journalism

His documentaries have appeared at Sundance, on A&E and Showtime.

He has also appeared on The Daily Show and NPR's Fresh Air.